Adoption and Orphan Care in Africa | A few posts you should read

I’m thankful I am only one of many who are passionate about reforming international adoption and orphan care. As this blog continues to grow, I hope to become a resource for my readers who want to learn more about the orphan crisis and how to respond. From time to time, I will share relevant, helpful articles and blog posts. Here are a few things I think you should read…

Adoption from Africa: Concern over dramatic rise article from the BBC. An overview of the issues around the growing numbers of adoptions of children from Africa to America and Europe. This article is written from a worldview that I don’t necessarily agree with – basically that a child’s growing up in their culture and country of origin may be more important than growing up in a family. Nevertheless, the article raises some important questions.

The New Faces of International Adoption? by blogger and adoptive mama Salem. A compelling post about why more families should consider adopting kids who are older or special needs. Salem adopted a little girl from Uganda has no arms or legs…but she is totally inspirational. This little girl is beautiful and will have a very full life as a result of having a family. You all know I am critical of corruption in adoption – but this is because at the end of the day, I believe international adoption can be a miracle for kids who truly need it. I am passionate about creating an adoption system that actually finds families for kids!

In Our Backyard is a post written by A Child’s Voice, an advocacy group I volunteer with. ACV is led by Freda, a Ugandan attorney who used to work at the US Embassy. Recently Freda spent about a week in a slum that has become popular for international adoption. What this post reveals is heart breaking. Dozens of families in this community have placed children for adoption because they were approached by people who encouraged them that their children would have a better life if they were adopted. While this study was done in just one slum in Uganda, I believe it represents what happened in Guatemala, Vietnam, Cambodia and Nepal – and what continues to happen in countries such as Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

What else have you read about adoption or orphan care recently? Please link to any other resources in the comments. Make sure you subscribe to Family Hope Love and please grab my button from the sidebar to share this important information on your blog. Together, I hope we can start a movement to redeem global orphan care and adoption.

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Sara Brinton

sara@defenseofthefatherless.com

SARA BRINTON is a writer and entrepreneur with a passion for reforming international adoption and orphan care. She leads marketing for Noonday Collection, a business that uses fashion to create opportunity in developing countries. Sara and her husband, Mark, live in Austin, Texas with their four children, including daughter Gabrielle who was adopted from Uganda.

4 Comments

Lindsay

I found your blog a couple weeks ago and I just wanted to thank you for all the information about Ugandan adoptions. We are working with an agency and are in the middle of the homestudy process. You have brought up every issue I have been concerned about since starting this process. Is there anyway of emailing you to ask you a few questions?

Hi Sara! I just found your blog, and I share your heart for best practices in orphan care. If you haven’t already found the publications of the Faith to Action Initiative, http://www.faithbasedcarefororphans.org, I think they will strike a chord with you.

I’m part of the working group for the Initiative, which is a group of Christian organizations advocating “approaches to orphan care that uphold the value of family and community in the life of a child.” Bless you, Sara!

I would love help in spreading the word! I am raising $30,000 in 30 days (the month of June) for my 30th Birthday. It is going to Bring Love In which creates permanent families from widows and orphans in Ethiopia. This video has more info. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzfUWWp89fk&feature=youtu.be.